Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 H457 Review & Rating

I wanted to find out if the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 is able to offer a sporty driving experience despite the friendly price tag. The tire starts at below $70 each and a full set of four tires will only cost below $300. Considering the sporty and aggressive tread design of the tire, this is probably one of the best all-season tires when it comes to value for money.

My test car for this review is a 2008 Infiniti G35 sedan. While the previous model G20 was simply an improved version of the Nissan Sentra, the Infiniti G35 begs to differ. It is a true sports sedan that offers a roomy cabin and decently comfortable ride.

My test car came fitted with bone stock 17-inch wheels and Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 tires. However, the tires were more than a year old and have seen their fair share of abuse from the owner. There were signs of tread wear on all four corners of the vehicle. Let’s see if the tires are still capable of giving me a sporty drive despite the age of both the tires and my test vehicle.

The Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 is a sporty tire for sport sedans and sport coupes. The tire is equipped with a solid center rib block with a 3D point effect on the block edge to deliver excellent handling and braking on wet and dry roads.

The treads are blessed with an optimal profile design that provides an even contact patch on the road. This means the tires will offer better high-speed stability while minimizing deformation on the shoulder and center patch. The shoulders of the tire are further enhanced with noise care blocks to suppress road noise and tire roar.

The tire is also equipped with four wide straight grooves and a V-shaped pattern design to improve traction, grip, and water evacuation on wet roads. The tire also came with an uneven wear protection system so you can easily check the presence of abnormal wear on the face of the treads.

Constructed using a longer mileage carbon compound to improve wet grip with lower rolling resistance, this is a performance tire with the wear characteristics of a touring tire.

Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 Review: Test Drive

My test car might be old, but it still felt tight as a drum. I also think the design has aged gracefully despite the onslaught of new cars with a funkier exterior profile. I guess this will be my first time behind the wheel of the Infiniti G35 so I was a bit excited as well. I got the keys and drove off to acquaint myself with the characteristics and behavior of the car.

Dry Traction

You have to remember the tires in my test car are more than a year old, but traction and grip on dry roads were still impressive. I did find the steering to be a bit talkative on the highway but this can be attributed to the steering system of the Infiniti G35.

If you push it harder you will feel the tires squirm as they hunt for much-needed grip and the rear of the car has a tendency to slide out if you are not careful with your steering or throttle inputs.

Overall, the tires were okay in the dry. But if you demand more, you better get a better set of summer tires.

Wet Traction

I only got to the drive in the wet upon returning the car to the owner. There was nothing dramatic as I sped on a wet highway, and the braking was unaffected by the slippery nature of the road. I did feel the ABS system kick-in as I pressed hard on the brake pedal, but the tires were able to bring the car to a halt without much fuss.

Snow Traction

I didn’t have the chance to test the tires on snowy roads. However, the owner of the car was more than willing to share his experience when he drove the car in the snow.

The Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 performed well on light snow, but you better slow down if the roads are completely covered in ice or more than 2-inches of snow. In fact, he had to purchase a separate set of snow tires when the winter season was in full swing.

Comfort

It is hard to fault the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 in terms of riding comfort. I am aware the Infiniti G35 is a sports sedan, but it behaves very much like a luxury car on the highway. In my opinion, the Hankook Ventus Noble2 is a more comfortable alternative if what you really want is a comfortable all-season performance tire.

Noise

I also noticed the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 were a bit noisier on the highway, but this can be attributed to the age of the tires. Road noise and tire roar is not really that bad, but they are easily noticeable at higher than average speeds or when traversing over rough patches of road.

Treadwear

The wear characteristics of the Hankook Ventus V2 Concept2 was impressive given the age of the tires fitted to my test car. The owner made sure to have the steering and suspension components checked before fitting the tires more than a year ago, and it shows. The tread wear was evenly distributed across the contact patch of the tires, and there were no signs of cuts or damage on the treads. It is hard to find a better set of low rolling resistance tires at this price range.